Pitching is a simple exercise — asking an editor if they’d like to commission your work — but it can be incredibly nerve-racking. I learn well from templates, so I’ll include a rough outline in this post, but first, a couple guidelines.
Editors are real people, who receive more emails for their job than you can comprehend. So keep your pitch short. A busy editor does not want to read more than a couple of brief paragraphs. Even if you are very knowledgeable about your topic, or have done a lot of research, only share the bare bones teaser.
If you genuinely admire the publication or the editor’s work, it doesn’t hurt to start your email with a compliment. Again, keep it short. “I loved your recent feature on [something interesting].”
If the editor called for pitches on Twitter, you can mention how you got their contact information so it’s less of a cold email. “I saw your tweet asking for pitches and wanted to reach out.”
Use the editor’s first and last name instead of an honorific like Ms., Mr., Dr., or Mx. Honorifics are hard to get right and using the editor’s full name is formal without as much chance for error or offense.
